A NATO Member on the Edge

Reeling from a series of embarrassing public disclosures involving embezzlement, bribery, undue influence and strong-arm tactics, Turkey’s neo-Ottoman, Islamist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, threatened to ban the popular social media sites of Facebook and YouTube, accusing them of encouraging “every kind of immorality and espionage for their own ends.” Erdoğan has recently resorted to a series of desperate measures, including sacking hundreds of police officers, prosecutors and judges, in a frantic effort to keep a growing corruption scandal centered on him and his cronies from spiraling out of control.

Erdoğan’s AKP government, once touted by President Obama as a shining example of Islam’s compatibility with democracy, has turned out to be as, if not more xenophobic than the autocracies currently governing the Arab and Islamic worlds. As for Erdoğan, he has proven himself to be nothing more than a petty, paranoid thug, full of hubris and delusions of grandeur.

Under Erdoğan, Turkey has become the world’s leading incarcerator of journalists followed by those democracy stalwarts of Iran and China. He has successfully usurped control from the once independent Turkish judiciary and has imposed creeping shariaon secular Turks. But it is Erdoğan’s rhetoric concerning Jews and Israel where his penchant for the bizarre truly comes to fore.

It began in December 2009 when Erdoğan made a spectacle of himself at the World Economic Forum in Davos after moderator David Ignatius noted that Erdoğan had gone over his allotted time to speak. Erdoğan then turned to Israel’s president Shimon Peres and bellowed, “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.” Then he stormed off the stage like a spoiled child. His theatrics played well in the Arab world but left most westerners scratching their heads.

In September 2011 Erdoğan outrageously claimed that Israel had killed “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians in Gaza and in classic anti-Semitic fashion boorishly stated that Israel used the Holocaust as a tool to gain world sympathy.

In June 2013 while facing mounting protests against his autocratic rule and brute thuggery, Erdoğan suggested that the “interest rate lobby,” (a convenient euphemistic catch-all phrase for the all-powerful Jewish banking cabal) was behind the unrest. If there were any lingering doubts about Erdoğan’s gist, his deputy prime minister, Besir Atalay, taking cue from his boss, put them to rest when he blamed the “Jewish diaspora” for the strife. It is shocking that the leader of the second largest army in NATO can – not unlike Germany under Hitler – lay blame for his own faults on the Jews and actually get away with it without so much as even a mild reprimand. The EU’s Catherine Ashton must have been too busy condemning Israel to pay any mind to Erdoğan’s anti-Semitic rant.

If anyone still had any doubts about Erdoğan’s sanity, he put them to rest with his zaniest conspiracy theory yet, that French-Jewish intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy and Israel orchestrated the military coup that deposed Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Morsi. That outrageous claim proved too much to bear even for the State Department which termed Erdogan’s histrionics as “offensive, unsubstantiated, and wrong.”

Turkey maintains NATO’s second largest army, borders three very problematic Mideast nations (Iran, Iraq and Syria), is in close proximity to Crimea and secures a substantial portion of NATO’s southern flank. But Turkey under Erdoğan has cozied up to Iran’s mullahs, has opted to purchase Chinese arms that are incompatible with NATO’s defense systems and has established itself as the premiere betrayer of intelligence agents.

Considering Turkey’s strategic importance, an unbalanced, erratic and unpredictable Erdoğan should be a source of concern for the free world. Should Erdoğan’s AKP maintain or expand its parliamentary hold on power in the next general elections, NATO should give serious consideration to reassessing Turkey’s role in the alliance.

Ari Lieberman is an attorney and former prosecutor who has authored numerous articles and publications on matters concerning the Middle East and is considered an authority on geo-political and military developments affecting the region.

Bamaguje

Turkey should be suspended from NATO until she has a secular leadership compatible with Western ideals.
Otherwise she’ll become a treacherous security risk to the alliance.

Dallas25305

I believe he already is. This is an Islamo Facist and his actions show that. No wonder Barack Hussein Obama loves this guy so much. They are like brothers when it comes to their actions.

JVictor

Turkey was “…once touted by President Obama as a shining example of Islam’s compatibility with democracy…” is one of the most absurd things that Obama has ever uttered. Islam means submission whereas as democracy allows for the free expression of ideas and ideals. Where in the wide wide world of sports is there any compatibility between the two? He knows that it is impossible which is why he has been marching to the beat of imperialism during his administration. It’s been sad to watch Edrogan’s downward spiral into lunacy. It’s almost as if the predominant voice in his head is now screeching for expression and attention after being placed under wraps long enough to give the appearance of compatibility with democracy. We’re waiting for the next explanation, Mr. Obama.

Nebula Retina

Nothing would make us Turks happier, please kick us out of Nato and loose the 2nd biggest army in NATO. Russia China Iran crossing their fingers for that to happen. Some politicians are already working for membership to SCC. I love it how you retards make it sound like we are begging to be in NATO. We had no benefit from being a NATO member at all, it has always cost us dearly, in every illegal war NATO was in we lost billions. The most in Turkey probably praying for that to happen, but I assure you people we are stuck in NATO….

Rob Hobart

So, you’re an idiot. Got it.

Jakareh

For once, Turkey and the civilized world are in agreement: we don’t belong together.

Since the first thing came to your mind was donkies, you must be a regular in TJ mule shows, probably it is a family event for you, you people seem to enjoy it. Cheers

logdon

I haven’t the slightest clue of what you’re talking about and quite honestly prefer it that way.

logdon

However I can add the old Arab saying…

“Women for children, boys for pleasure, goats for sheer ecstasy.”

Not quite a donkey but a poor Muslim can’t have everything can he?

Nebula Retina

Bigotary has no bounds with you hicks, and of course you think we are arabs, or we speak arabic. Did you go to school?

logdon

Did you?

It’s an Arab saying, imbecile.

Nebula Retina

Don’t you have some Tijuana MX MULE SHOWS to attend or participate as a family, cheers looser…

logdon

Looser means less loose.

At least learn the language.

Brooklyn Farmer

How’s Google translate working for you.

Brooklyn Farmer

So says the naz! Islamic monkey

Nebula Retina

Yes I am very poor, I look esspecially poor in my quarter million dollar car.

logdon

But had to leave your fleapit to get it?

Brooklyn Farmer

Is that what you call your donkey monkey girl.

Brooklyn Farmer

Time for you to go back home to please your brothers

Bamaguje

“Nothing would make us Turks happier, please kick us out of Nato” – Nebula.

But you Turks are desperate to join EU – another NATO club. And of what use is “NATO’s 2nd biggest army” if it cannot be trusted?

Nebula Retina

Hehehe that must have hurt, others have tried and failed miserably,all
the games have been tried also have failed miserably, we don’t need EU
neither, look at greece, cyrus, spain etc, they are picking and eating
from garbage a lot to look forward for us Turks good luck in your
journey

1Indioviejo1

Saddam’s Army was the 4th in the world. It couldn’t take the heat. Do you think Turkey could stand up to the Russian Army?

Nebula Retina

How old are you, saddam did not even have an army. What are you on buddy, what does Russia has to do with anything here, Turks and Russians both have a lot of each others blood on their hands, but remember we both are here to fight another day. Russia is our business partner and we need the oil and gas from Russia, I don’t understand I guess you must be retarded….

1Indioviejo1

I know and everybody that can read these lines knows that you don’t understand, as you so aptly say. Iraq’s Army was formed by the British at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. When the non-existant Iraqui Army invaded Iran in 1980 it had aprox. 300,000 soldiers plus 75,000 Elite Republican Guard Armor soldiers. 2,500 T-72 Russian tanks and somewhat experience in attacking Israel since 1948 with the rest of the Muslim incompetents, so we may think they learned something about warfare when they invaded Iran, but the war lasted 8 years and both sides showed their incompetence on the battle field. So please do a little research before braying in public.

Notalibfool

“We had no benefit from being a NATO member at all…”

Having Turkey as a member is actually of no benefit to the other NATO countries.

Hypocrite, you can’t whine about “illegal” NATO wars when your country continues to illegally occupy a large section of the sovereign nation of Cyprus.

Don’t call us retards when the same can easily be said about you.

Nebula Retina

Cockroach cypriots deserved every bit of what happened for killing our innocent brothers, and if you believe it is over you are mistaking, we will fight again and this time it wont be as pleasant…

Drakken

Hopefully we kick you out of the rest of Europe as well, all the way across the Bosporus into asia minor, and for some more fun, us infidels should give the Kurds some encouragement and arms to be a really nice pain in the azz for you turks, remember Turk, you need us, we don’t need you.

Nebula Retina

Hehehe that must have hurt, others have tried and failed miserably,all the games have been tried also have failed miserably, we don’t need EU neither, look at greece, cyrus, spain etc, they are picking and eating from garbage a lot to look forward for us Turks good luck in your journey…

Sniper’s Oath

American and other NATO countries need to get this guy out. This could be the next really devastating fall.

Kyriacos Kyriakides

“Turkey” never belonged. Values-wise. The fact that it lasted so long highlights a fundamental problem with NATO. With “Turkey” in its midst, an aggressive violator, regional troublemaker abroad, and pseudo-democracy, violent oppressor at home, how can NATO be or claim to be a force for good? It cannot. That’s why kicking “Turkey” out must be approached as a great opportunity to reassess who the enemies of the free world and world peace really are. If NATO gets it wrong, it will get the next century wrong too.

wileyvet

There are no shining examples of anything in the Islamic world. Islam and democracy are antithetical. I wish the world would stop trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Of course that is impossible too, because Muslims don’t like pork. Turks, another proud people with so little to be proud of. The fact they still do not take responsibility for the Armenian genocide, while trying to foster another against Israel, is all you need to know about Turkey and the Turks.

Ellman48

“As for Erdoğan, he has proven himself to be nothing more than a petty, paranoid thug, full of hubris and delusions of grandeur.”

Explaining why he and Obama have such a good relationship: ‘birds of a feather…”

Ellman48

“It is shocking that the leader of the second largest army in NATO can –
not unlike Germany under Hitler – lay blame for his own faults on the
Jews and actually get away with it without so much as even a mild
reprimand.”

Apparently he has a lot in common with Adolph Hitler as well as Barack Obama. Look who’s calling Jews “fascists”! The same man who rejects the appellation “Islamist”.

Ataturk wanted to bring Turkey from the 17th century into the 20th, and he succeeded. Then Erdogan did the exact opposite. Islamism longs for the past and despises the future.

Nebula Retina

Like I always say, he must have done something right if all the rodents here hate him, I don’t like him personally but I will vote for him just because of your hatred towards him, cheers…

Brooklyn Farmer

Enjoy the destruction of your own country , how’s that working for you monky girl.

Ellman48

“Considering Turkey’s strategic importance, an unbalanced, erratic and
unpredictable Erdoğan should be a source of concern for the free
world. Should Erdoğan’s AKP maintain or expand its parliamentary hold on
power in the next general elections, NATO should give serious
consideration to reassessing Turkey’s role in the alliance.”

One has to wonder when the US is no longer a factor to be considered in the policies or actions other nations around the world contemplate, what are their primary motivations and deliberations based on? One would think that Russia and China, much closer, for example, to Turkey would have more influence on what it does. Not very comforting when a NATO partner is involved. In a conflict whose side would Turkey be on?

Flowerknife_us

Turkey refused entry of the 4th Infantry div.during the Invasion of Iraq. The 4th would have prevented foreign fighters from entering Iraq via Syria and given Saddam no place to run to. While preventing any number of things from moving around that we were looking for.

Turkey was lost to NATO and U.S. National Interest at that point.
One could say it has the Blood of Americans on its hands to prove it..

Nebula Retina

And you blame us for doing it, how right were we to do that, look at the end result you moron, Iraq is now under Iranian control, look at Libya and soon Egypt lost to Russia, go keep looking for your weapons of mass destruction, they are all over Iraq while others are actually gaining grounds…